NEW DELHI, Feb 19, 2023 (BSS/AFP):
Jadeja, a left-arm orthodox, teamed up with fellow spinner Ravichandran
Ashwin to dismiss Australia for 113 in a morning session when the tourists’
batting imploded, thanks to an overused sweep shot on a tricky New Delhi
pitch.
The hosts romped to their victory target of 115 in the second session to
guarantee them retention of the Border-Gavaskar trophy in the four-match
series.
They have won their previous three series against Australia and are now close
to securing a spot in the World Test Championship final.
India lost skipper Rohit Sharma, run out after a fluent 31, and Virat Kohli,
who surpassed 25,000 international runs, stumped on 20.
But Cheteshwar Pujara stood firm with 31 in his landmark 100th Test to steer
the team home with a winning four as wicketkeeper-batsman Srikar Bharat,
unbeaten on 23, looked on.
Nathan Lyon took two wickets to return a match-haul of seven.
Australia, who also lost the opener inside three days, crashed from their
overnight 61-1 to get bowled out in 31.1 overs after losing nine wickets for
52 runs in just over 90 minutes of mayhem.
Jadeja improved on his previous Test best of 7-48 to add to his three in the
first innings.
Ashwin grabbed the remaining three.
Ashwin struck in the first over of the day to get Travis Head caught behind
for 43, three balls after the left-hander hit a boundary to add to his
overnight score.
Marnus Labuschagne attempted to take the attack to the opposition with the
paddle shot and the reverse sweep but was bowled by Jadeja for 35.
David Warner’s concussion substitute Matt Renshaw looked clueless against
spin in his eight balls at the crease before he missed an attempted sweep,
giving Ashwin another lbw.
Wickets fell like nine-pins and Nathan Lyon narrowly averted a Jadeja hat-
trick but the bowler kept up the charge to wrap up the Australian innings,
which started on a promising note near the end of day two.
Axar Patel set up victory with his counter-attacking 74 on Saturday, lifting
India from a precarious 139-7 to just one short of Australia’s first-innings
total.
The left-hander put on a key 114-run eighth-wicket stand with Ashwin to turn
the tables on Australia, who kept coming back with Lyon leading the bowling
charge.
Lyon returned figures of 5-67 with his off-spin and was supported by fellow
spinners Todd Murphy and debutant Matthew Kuhnemann — both of whom took two
each.
The Aussies suffered an early blow ahead of day two when star opener Warner
was ruled out due to concussion after getting hit on the head in his knock of
15.
The third match is in Indore from March 1.
